Battersea pupils show off tech skills to Apple CEO Tim Cook

The Leader of Wandsworth Council welcomed Apple’s top executive Tim Cook to Battersea to hear from local schoolchildren who have picked up new tech skills thanks to a council partnership with Apple.

Councillor Simon Hogg and Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea, accompanied the Apple CEO and Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, on a tour of St Mary’s Primary School. They dropped in on a Year 6 class who were learning coding skills on iPad and demonstrated to the visitors what they were working on.

Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Council said: "Our growing partnership with Apple as they make Battersea their new London home is bringing exciting opportunities for our diverse school communities. We have many shared ambitions for the next generation, so I was delighted to welcome Tim Cook to our borough to see first-hand how local children are benefiting from learning new tech skills with Apple which will have a powerful impact on their future access to jobs and training."

Councillor Simon Hogg with Marsha de Cordova MP and Apple CEO Tim Cook (l-r)

Wandsworth Council worked with Apple and the Wandsworth Apple Regional Training Centre and City Learning Centre to initially deliver a new digital skills programme at nearby St Mary’s and Sacred Heart primary schools.

The Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create programmes tackle under-achievement through teaching digital skills to students and their teachers and have had a positive impact on skills and confidence.

The partnership project will now be rolled out across nine Wandsworth schools, giving students and teachers access to iPad and Apple Pencil for home and classroom use and providing Apple Professional Learning to help schools and their teachers to deliver innovative teaching practices.

Marsha de Cordova MP said: “It was fantastic to visit St Mary’s school with Tim Cook to meet students involved in Apple’s Everyone Can Code educational programme.  I am pleased that they will expand the programme to nine schools over the academic year in the Borough which provides children with skills for 21st century work. Apple’s investment in Battersea is a huge sign of confidence in our local economy and community.”

Apple moved into its new UK headquarters in Battersea earlier this year and opened their latest UK store in Battersea Power Station in June.